Michael O’Leary’s Had It With Short Theatrical Windows — They Must Be “Meaningful” For Movies To Succeed

deadline.com:

Keeping movies in theaters longer is key to the health of a still recovering exhibition industry, according to Michael O’Leary, President and CEO of Cinema United, the trade group that’s just rebranded (from NATO), as the curtain is set to go up on CinemaCon.

The world’s largest annual gathering of theater owners and studio partners runs Monday-Thursday in Las Vegas. On windows, there’s been all kinds of experimentation since Covid and, yes, debate continues, differences of opinion remain.

But enough is enough, he said, and 45 days should be the minimum.   “We are reaching the point … where we’re starting to say, ‘Hey, we need some clarity.

We need some stability in terms of what the windows are,'” he told Deadline ahead of prepared remarks he’ll deliver at his keynote on Tuesday. “From the exhibition perspective, we believe that you have to have a meaningful window in order for movies to be successful.